Common Ground
by Kuragari75
Summary: AFF cross post on request: Cloud and Reno find out what they have in common. CloudxReno mostly rated for swearing right now. Warning: Character Death.
1. Chapter 1

Kuragari: ok… so interesting story on this one… started as a RenoxTifa fic… and became yaoi somehow… welcome to my mind. It's confusing as all get go. ^^ Have fun!

Also, I'm aware Tifa isn't quite so pissy at the Turks, but I had fun writing it this way. So please forgive the discrepancy.

Reno stumbled along the sidewalk, wandering aimlessly through the many streets of Midgar, his bike left at home. He had wanted to walk tonight, the crisp air cold enough to really bite. Reno had wanted that pain and eventual numb feeling as he made his slow way through the near deserted streets.

A week… a whole fucking week… he wasn't sure he could survive seven _hours_ off-duty, let alone seven DAYS! He would've called up Rufus to try and convince the boss to let him go back to work… again, but so far the answer was always the same and he could tell Rufus was getting irritated. He wanted to go back to work, not get fired for pestering the president.

Damn it all! Couldn't the man understand that the last thing he needed was time to himself? He wanted to work, to keep his mind so overwhelmed he had no time to think about the past few days!

He needed to forget…

And so Reno found himself out in the cold, near-falling-down drunk and wondering where to go next. He'd been thrown out of two bars due to fist fights, cut off at another, and flat out banned from the last three due to his line of work. Not too many Turk-friendly places left in the city, even after the thing with the remnants. You know; the whole part where they helped save the fucking world!

At long last, Reno looked up to try and get his bearings and was surprised at the sign that hung above his head. He couldn't say how he ended up outside of the Seventh Heaven but it made him want to laugh. Seventh bar of the night… and it's the Seventh Heaven. How ironic.

It was warm and bright inside, as compared to the cold night, but Reno found the bar relatively dead for going on midnight. Only a few tables were occupied and all were fairly quiet. He also noticed all eyes were on him, and not too many were friendly. The red head shrugged it off, used to the open scorn of his position, and made his way up to the bar, taking a seat and patiently waiting for the dark haired bartender to notice him.

It didn't take long.

Tifa Lockhart turned from her latest customer, smiling in a charming manner as she turned to greet the next person who had walked in. When her hazel eyes locked first on fire-red hair, to the ever present but scarcely used sunglasses, and then slightly blood-shot blue eyes, Tifa felt her smile falter.

'What is _he_ doing here?' She swallowed hard, wanting to be polite to the Turk. After all, he and his near-silent partner Rude had both helped out during the fight with the remnants. They did owe them. She sighed and walked over to the grinning red-head.

Reno had to smirk at the way Tifa froze when recognizing him. She had always disliked him and for some reason it amused Reno to no end.

"Yo, Lockhart," he greeted. "How's it going? Keeping busy?"

"What are you doing here Reno?" she said in return, crossing her arms over her, Reno noted, rather large chest. Tifa wrinkled her nose. The Turk reeked of boos, he had a rather impressive bruise forming on his jaw, and it wasn't hard to see that the red-head had already had quite a bit to drink that night.

"What?" he started arms up in mock surprise. "A guy can't get a drink?"

"Seems like you've had quiet a few already," she said, pointedly eyeing Reno's overly disheveled state. The smile fell from his lips and Reno's blue eyes became hard.

"I ain't drunk enough yet," he said coolly. When it looked like Tifa was about to argue, Reno cut her off.

"Look Lockhart, I got the gil to pay for it and I ain't driving anywhere tonight, so just poor the damn drink, yo."

Tifa was taken aback by the somber tone that overtook the red-head. She had never seen Reno with any other attitude but smug or flat out annoying. What could manage to damper the red-head's spirit so much?

Without arguing further, Tifa pulled out shot glass. From the fire that ignited in Reno's eyes, that wasn't the right choice. Sighing she put it back and got a large glass instead, pouring the Turk three fingers of the finest whiskey she had, no ice from the looks of Reno's attitude.

She placed the glass down firmly in front of the red-head, trying not to scowl as the Turk drained nearly half the whiskey in one go. Seriously, based on what she could tell, the brunette was shocked the man hadn't keeled over from alcohol poisoning. She highly doubted that Reno would be able to stand again, much less walk home. She was seriously considering getting a hold of Rude to come and get his intoxicated partner.

Speaking of which, where was the tall Turk? Tifa was rather surprised that the man wasn't trailing after his wayward companion in order to keep his fiery partner out of trouble. Well, maybe Reno hadn't told the man that he was going out?

She was just about to inquire after said absent Turk, when a movement at the door caught her eye.

It was Cloud. Back safe from his final deliveries of the day. The blonde looked soggy and miserable, but at least his bike had been fine on the slick streets.

Tifa smiled warmly at her friend and excused herself to go and greet him. Not like it really mattered as the red-head was more focused on his whiskey than her at the moment as he swirled the amber liquid about his glass.

Tifa paused as she saw Cloud's blue eyes drift over the sulking Turk. There was a flash of something in those mako enhanced depths that worried her and caused her to send another cursory glance back at Reno. She looked back at Cloud and saw one of his small smiles that had been appearing more and more since Sephiroth's second demise. There was still something lingering in those eyes as they kept flicking back towards the bar and its' occupant.

Tifa closed the distance between herself and Cloud and offered him a small peck on the cheek and a sisterly embrace.

"Welcome back," she started, pretending to ignore the worry in those blue depths. "How did your deliveries go?"

"Well enough," came the typical answer. Tifa smiled and started to head back to the bar, when a firm grip on her arm stopped her. She turned back to see Cloud now carefully watching the Turk still bent over his drink.

"How long has Reno been here?"

The concern in that voice surprised Tifa so much that it took her a moment to answer. Sure they had always had a strange near-friendship with the Turks, but she had never seen Cloud get so worked up about any of them. The ex-SOLDIER knew quite well how the Turks were capable of handling themselves; so, why was Cloud so worried about Reno getting drunk? Yeah, he had seemed a little upset, but… was it really cause for so much concern?

"A few minutes," she replied after a long pause. "He arrived just ahead of you actually… why?"

"I think we should try and keep him here tonight…"

Again that strange amount of concern laced the blonde's words and swam across his features. Tifa blinked a few times.

"Cloud, you're starting to worry me. What's wrong with him?"

Cloud's gaze flicked between her and the red-head a few times before he pulled her closer to a doorway, hoping, apparently to give them a bit more privacy.

"I talked to Rufus today." The blonde stated, as if that explained everything. Tifa raised an eyebrow to prompt more from her friend when no more information was forthcoming.

"And?"

Cloud took a deep breath and ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair.

"You really haven't heard?"

Tifa was really starting to get worried. She couldn't remember ever seeing Cloud like this for someone outside of Avalanche.

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise," she prompted gently. Cloud sighed once more before finally giving in and answering.

Almost immediately, Tifa nearly wished he hadn't.

"Tifa… Rufus just explained it to me today, but… Rude was shot. Nearly two days ago. It was a clean hit to the artery in his upper thigh…"

The look on the blonde's face said the rest, even before the words slipped past his lips.

"Tifa… Rude bled out in Reno's arms. He's dead…"

Kuragari: So yeah… (ducks) don't kill me please!


	2. Chapter 2

Kuragari: WOOT! Thanks for the reviews everyone! I'm glad you like this story idea and aren't going to kill me for killing Rude! I'm not a fan of him dying either and I don't know what prompted me to write this… but I figured I'd just go ahead and get it out of my system.

P.S. this'll be a fairly short chapter… Anyway, here we go.

Tifa stifled her horrified gasp with her hands, laying them firmly over her mouth as her warm eyes sought out the troubled Turk.

Rude… dead? Strong, silent, dependable, almost-no-sense-of-humor Rude? It couldn't be! Only the saddened look on Cloud's face confirmed it. He would never make something like this up, even Rufus wasn't enough of a bastard to lie about this, and it did explain the Turk's strange behavior.

It was the barely concealed empathy and understanding in those mako-blue depths that cemented it for Tifa.

He was really gone. It seemed so surreal. He had always been there. He was the other half to the duo… it was always Reno and Rude… always. She couldn't imagine never seeing his shielded eyes again and she had never even really worked with the Turk. She couldn't imagine what Reno must be feeling.

The man was truly gone… leaving his sodden, sulking other half behind to wallow until the sun came up. Suddenly, the red-head made much more sense as Reno's words rang through Tifa's head.

_"I ain't drunk enough, yet."_

Reno was attempting to drown his sorrow out, to forget what he was now missing. Who only knew what he may end up doing if they let him leave on his own? He shouldn't be alone tonight.

Tifa felt her eyes mist ever so slightly before she shook her head and began a determined stride towards the bar.

She was quickly interrupted when she was once more yanked back by Cloud. The brunette spun around, prepared to death-glare Cloud until he let her go and try to console Reno... there were two words she'd thought she'd never put together… but once more the look on Cloud's face stopped her.

This time, it was a steel look of stubbornness. Tifa knew that look, and knew all too well what it meant.

It meant that whatever the blonde was going to say next was something she wasn't going to like… and she had no choice but to go with it.

"Tifa," he started firmly, flicking his gaze back towards Reno to make sure the conversation was still private. "You can't hover. Please, promise me you won't let him know that I told you. You can't act like anything has changed."

Tifa blinked, and then blinked again… and again.

"What?" she half-whispered, half-snarled. "His partner, a man he must've seen as the closest thing he's ever had to a brother, just died! You're expecting me to just act like everything's normal?!"

"For his sake… yes." Cloud practically growled back. He sighed, rubbing at his eyes for a moment and finally letting go of Tifa's arm. "Tifa… trying to coddle and console him now will only anger him."

"Then… what can we do?" she asked. Cloud was a man of few words, so when he spoke up, it was better to listen.

"Just… let me handle it… ok?" The blonde's eyes were pleading, if a little unsure. Tifa had wanted to argue that the last thing the redhead needed was to ignore and forget his grief, but then she remembered. Cloud knew that. He had learned it himself, first with Zack, and then later with Aeris.

Zack, how could she have forgotten about Zack? If anyone understood how it felt to lose a man that was practically your brother, it was Cloud. Though he had blamed himself for a long time for the man's death, Cloud had eventually dealt with it, and now he was the only one who knew what it was that Reno needed.

It was with that heavy thought that Tifa nodded, heading back to the bar and entrusting the Turk's welfare to the blonde's care… for now.

Kuragari: short, I know but I did warn you!


	3. Chapter 3

Kuragari: Weeeeee! Next chapter!

It didn't take Reno long to work his way through the remainder of the bottle of whiskey that Tifa had finally just brought him. He had managed at long last to at least fog over his brain enough that he could distract himself. He sighed and prayed to the life stream that he could just stay wrapped in that warm, fuzzy fog forever.

When Lockhart came to collect the bottle, Reno ordered another, this time of Vodka. Tifa's lips turned down into a disapproving frown, but, to Reno's surprise, she brought him a half-full bottle and a shot glass without any comment.

He was further surprised when, after one shot, his glass and bottle were swiped by a certain spiky-haired, buster sword wielding blonde, Cloud Strife.

The blonde managed to down two whole shots before Reno had time to recover from his shock and make a sloppy grab for the bottle. Cloud easily kept it out of the red-head's grasp and even managed to pour and swallow another shot while evading the Turk's drunken antics. Reno finally gave up with a growl, glaring daggers at his apparent drinking partner.

"The fuck, yo!" The Turk slurred, swaying slightly on his feet. "Tha's mah bottle! Get yer own, fucker!" Since when did Cloud drink anyway?

"Shince when d'you fuckin' drink anyway? Gimme the fuck damn bottle, Shtrifle!" (That's not a typo) At this, Reno made another grab for the bottle, only to find himself held at arm's length by a black-gloved hand on his forehead. Reno glowered at the offending appendage, determined not to let it get in his way. His arms flailed and his feet kicked and still he could get no nearer his precious boos as he watched it disappear, swallow by swallow, down the ex-SOLDIER's throat. Reno finally had to stop when his arms were burning, the floor was tilting, and he still hadn't gotten anywhere.

He let out a pathetic moan of distress as Cloud tipped back the last swallow of the bottle, holding tightly to the hated arm just to keep from falling over.

Tifa watched this entire exchange with a firmly planted scowl and one hand on her hip. So… THIS was Cloud's solution? To distress the red-head more and drink HIMSELF into a stupor?! When the blonde set down the empty bottle, Tifa met his eyes with a glare and then stomped over when he motioned for her.

She was about to snap at him when he levered her with a gaze that said he knew what he was doing and to let him go through with his plan. Out load he simply asked for another bottle, and a FULL one this time. She huffed but consented, vowing to wrangle an explanation from him later. She set the bottle down a bit hard, swiped Cloud's offered gil, and decided to just ignore the two for the rest of the evening.

It was either that, or she had a feeling she'd end up clobbering Cloud before the night was out. And he didn't deserve a thrashing… so far.

Cloud watched Tifa practically storm of and suppressed a wince. He knew he was acting slightly like a dick, but he really did have a plan on how to handle Reno. The Red-head was back on his stool and hungrily eying Cloud's fresh bottle of Vodka, obviously trying to think of a plan to snag the boos but just a bit too drunk to conjure a course of action.

The blonde hid a smirk as he poured a new shot and watched as Reno's bloodshot eyes followed the drink all the way to Cloud's mouth, subconsciously licking his lips as Cloud swallowed. Perfect.

Cloud picked up the bottle and dangled it in front of Reno's face, being careful to keep it just out of the Turk's reach as the red-head tried again to grab it.

"Want something there, Reno?" He kept his voice light, as if he was oblivious to what the red-head wanted and wasn't dangling it right over the Turk's head.

The glare he received would've sent most men running straight out the door, but Cloud just smiled.

"I'll make you a deal, Red," he plunged ahead, ignoring the scathing look. "We're going to go for a nice little ride. If you play nice you can have this back."

Reno was growling, glaring at the smug blonde. It was times like this he almost wanted the angsty Cloud back. Happy Cloud was a lot more annoying. He perked up a bit at the mention of getting back the alcohol… but where the hell did Strife want to go?

He made a few more sloppy grabs for the bottle, missing each time, before finally giving up with a sigh and another death glare.

"Fuckin' hell! Fine!" he finally yelled, earning looks from the other customers. "You win Chocobo!"

Cloud just smiled again, picked up the vodka and headed for the door. Reno groaned and stood up, grumbling when he realized he was still able to walk straight and only vaguely wondering where the hell the blonde wanted to go.

Kuragari: that's all for now! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Kuragari: YAY! New chapter! Thanks for the reviews! Also I drew a picture to accompany this chapter. You can find it here on my deviantart: .com/art/Let-me-help-you-118038392 let me know what you think!

Reno leaned heavily against Fenrir's side panel, staring at the rusted monument on the ledge before him. The city beyond was shrouded in mist, making it hard to see, even though the rain had stopped some time before. The ground was still soggy from the downpour but as long as he didn't sit directly in a puddle he'd be ok.

So, this is where Strife wanted to go? Reno didn't know what was more depressing; the atmosphere surrounding the old sword, holding it's vigil over the dark city below… or Strife's attempt at cheering him up.

It had taken Reno's alcohol addled brain around half way through the bike ride to understand the only reason Strife would be acting… well… friendly, had to have been that, some how, he'd found out.

Great! So someone had blabbed to Blondie and he just decided to take it upon himself to make it all better? Reno had almost ditched right then, but some part of his brain had told him that would've involved diving off of a very fast moving bike, and that just couldn't be fun. Besides, the Choco-bo head had promised him boos.

They made it to Fair's memorial without incident and Strife handed over the vodka without comment, further surprising the redhead by pulling a flask out of one of Fenrir's smaller compartments. They'd been sitting there ever since, drinking in complete silence, the solemn monument standing tall before them.

Reno was quickly becoming uneasy with the quiet. That sword was dredging up memories he didn't want at the moment and the alcohol was no longer enough to distract him. Strife certainly wasn't offering any diversion either. Shit! What a time for 'Broody Cloud' to rear his annoying head.

Finally, Reno decided he couldn't take anymore and just dove into conversation.

"So, who blabbed, yo?" He challenged, pissed that he wasn't slurring anymore. Fuck fast metabolism! He took an extra swig from his bottle in stubborn protest and determination.

Cloud looked over at him with a raised eyebrow, taking another sip from his flask.

"Blabbed about what?" he asked with that infuriating calm as he turned to look back at Zack's sword.

"What do you fucking think, smart-ass?!" Reno snapped. When Strife just stayed silent, he growled, throwing back another angry swallow. "Rude."

"Rufus."

"That's not funny, Strife. Now who fuckin' told you, yo?" Reno grumbled, trying to figure out why Strife was apparently playing list the ShinRa employees.

"No, Reno… Rufus. He called me earlier today and explained everything. He told me to keep an eye on you," Cloud finally admitted in a quiet voice. There was a long silence as Reno digested this information, a rather irritated look in his eyes. Cloud could practically feel the anger building in the red-head as he fully understood what Strife had told him. The blonde barely even flinched when the Turk surged, however unsteadily, to his feet and hurled the vodka bottle over the cliff's edge.

He watched Reno as the man stared out at the grey sky, obviously fuming, and leaving Cloud to wonder just how long it would be until he lashed out.

"So what the fuck! Rufus thinks I need a fucking baby sitter, now?!" Apparently, not that long.

"It's not the first time I've lost a close friend on the job! I'm not about to fucking break down! FUCKING ASS PIECE OF SHIT COCKSUCKING MOTHER FUCKER!!"

Reno fought to take a deep breath, frustrated when he couldn't figure out why that was difficult. Not to mention his vision was blurry, and when did he fall to his knees? He tried a few times to stand back up but the ground kept tilting alarmingly sending him straight back down. He felt exhausted and weakened and it didn't help that his fucking vision was blurred!! He felt wetness on his cheeks and looked up at the dark clouds.

"Great, and now it's fucking raining again," he grumbled.

There was a hand on his arm and then it was a lot easier to stand, even though he knew he wasn't putting any effort into it.

"It's not raining, Reno," Cloud told him quietly, confusing the redhead further.

It took him a moment too long to understand that he was crying. Fuck no! He didn't cry damn it! Reno growled and pushed away from the blonde, managing to take one unsteady step before his face was headed toward the ground. Two arms grabbed him this time, saving him from gaining a concussion on the cold ground and hauling him up again.

Reno tried to push the blonde off, even as his arm was pulled over broad shoulders.

"Give it up, Reno. Let me help you back," Cloud insisted stubbornly keeping his hold on the struggling redhead.

"I don't fucking need help…" His grumbling was losing its bite and the blonde could tell the fight was leaving him.

"Yeah, I know. But you are pretty damn drunk," he offered, leading the Turk towards Fenrir. "So just let me get you back so you can save your energy for fighting off the enormous headache you're going to have tomorrow."

"You were drinkin' too, yo…" Reno pointed out, grateful for the out in conversation, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Doesn't mean I'm drunk. Fast metabolism, mako enhancements… oh and that flask was water," Cloud explained calmly, loading Reno onto Fenrir and climbed on behind him. The Turk's tears had stopped and Cloud was seriously worried that the redhead was about to pass out.

"Tricky, Strife," Reno mumbled, his head lulling against his chest.

Cloud chuckled slightly. He wasn't that far off about the passing out, Reno was pretty out of it as they started back towards the town.

Cloud was glad that Reno had vented, if only a little bit, but he could definitely see why the redhead was angry. Death was something that Turks dealt with on a daily basis and that included losing colleagues and friends alike, so he could see why Reno would be angry at Rufus's apparent lack of faith in Reno's ability to keep it together.

But he also knew, or at least suspected, that losing Rude had been a much harsher blow than Reno had expected. The two had been friends throughout their time with the Turks and had been partners for years, and even though they had both known that death was a very real possibility, Cloud suspected that it had seemed a lot further off for the pair.

Far enough off that Reno had let Rude in more than he had ever allowed himself to let anyone in. After all, what was the point of being close to anyone if they got killed in the field the next day.

Cloud knew what it was like to close yourself off, to try and stay numb to others because you knew that they would never be around for long. He also knew what it was like to let one person in, one you saw as invincible, even if you didn't realize it.

The two Turks had kept it a pretty tight secret, but Cloud had seen the pain he'd felt at Zack's demise reflected in Reno's blue eyes and he knew.

The two had been more than partners, they had been lovers… probably for nearly as long as they had known each other. Rufus had most likely known, which would be why he was worried about the Turk, even if the smug bastard hadn't admitted such. He had made excuses saying that he just wanted Cloud to watch him in case they needed damage control, but the man had been worried.

Cloud tightened his hold on Reno as they entered the outskirts of the city, wanting to comfort the man who had been an uneasy ally and someone Cloud had secretly wanted to be friends with, and praying that, unlike himself, Reno never had to endure this pain a second time.

Kuragari: ok, so the emotional aspects felt a bit jumbled to me, but I wanted to update! Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Kuragari: Yay! Good reviews. Glad people are liking this fic.

Cloud maneuvered Reno around his room until he was able to dump the redhead onto the bed. He sighed heavily, leaning down to remove Reno's shoes and socks before moving his legs onto the mattress as well. He had already pulled Reno's jacket off and had it hanging off a chair where he had also set the Turk's goggles and EMR.

He had decided to just let Reno sleep it off in his room since he didn't really know where the Turk lived anyway.

Cloud stood back for a minute and just looked Reno over. The redhead looked troubled, even as he slept. His brow was creased in apprehension and his eyes moved restlessly beneath their lids. Cloud sighed and sat down, knowing that even if Reno got sleep, it wouldn't be restful. The Turk was strong, stronger than most people ever gave him credit for, but even he couldn't fight off dreams.

Cloud remembered that quiet well… he had only just begun to sleep without nightmares, during the last few months after Sephiroth's second fall.

Slowly Cloud extended his hand, brushing it over Reno's forehead and down his cheek, repeating the motion a few times. It seemed to soothe Reno, at least a little bit. It brought a small smile to the blonde's face.

Cloud really wasn't certain why he was suddenly feeling so… protective? … Attached? …Concerned? … for Reno. Was it just his sympathy?

There was a quiet chuckle from somewhere behind him and Cloud rolled his eyes. He didn't bother looking, he knew who it was.

'C'mon, Cloud,' Zack's amused voice rang in his head. 'You know it's not sympathy.'

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cloud responded, removing his hand from Reno and placing it on the bed. Zack just laughed.

'Oh really? I wasn't blind back then you know… you always had an eye on him, even back in SOLDIER. What? You thought I never noticed? I'm insulted.'

"No you're not," Cloud answered, keeping his eyes trained on Reno and catching the amusement in his old friend's tone. "Besides, you're wrong. I wanted to be friends with him maybe… but you were the only one back then."

'Don't lie Cloud,' Zack's voice became frosty. 'Don't lie to me, and don't lie to yourself.'

There was a heavy sigh, before he continued, his voice softer.

'I may have been the only one when we were together, but you know you've always liked him. Just like you knew how I felt about Aeris…'

There was a long silence between the two, Cloud just looking over Reno's face, contemplating Zack's words. He felt the vague pressure of a hand on his shoulder and almost winced. He wanted nothing more than to reach up and grasp that hand, but he knew that he would find nothing solid there to hold.

'Just do me a favor, ok? Think about it. And if the opportunity arises, take it. Don't let fear stop you.'

Cloud closed his eyes as he felt the familiar presence fade. Sometimes he wondered if it was a sign he was going mad that he continued to see and talk to loved ones after they'd died. He tried not to linger on that thought as he tucked the blankets a little more firmly around Reno.

He slowly made his way downstairs, wondering where Tifa and the kids were. He soon found an answer in a small note that had been left on the bar.

'Cloud,

Took the kids to stay at Barret's for a little while. I figured you could use the quiet. Take care and get some rest.

-Tifa'

Cloud almost rolled his eyes at the hidden message in the hastily written note. 'Take care of Reno and make sure both of you get rest.' Even when she wasn't there Tifa was still mothering. He chuckled and shook his head, knowing that her 'mother hen' mentality had pulled him through some rough patches, and who knew, maybe it would help the redhead too.

Unable to find anything else to do, Cloud headed back up to his room. He stole a few blankets and a pillow from Tifa's room and set himself up on his floor. It wasn't long after he settled down that the emotional currents of the day took their toll and Reno's even breathing lulled him to sleep.

Kuragari: ok, so I know it's kind of short but I wanted to update. I know it takes forever and I'm sorry but thanks for hanging in there with me ^^.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok, it was finally official. Reno was never drinking again… ever… in a million years… and maybe a few decades after that.

Holy Shiva, he couldn't remember his head ever hurting this much! And coming from a guy who'd been tossed into many solid surfaces by whatever super-human had thought he'd looked at them funny, that was really, _really_ saying something.

He groaned loudly after an attempt to open his eyes resulted in temporary blindness and a fresh wave of pain. Ok ok, bad idea. One would think he'd have learned that by now. Reno rolled over with another groan and buried his head under a pillow, attempting to silence the pounding in his skull.

It wasn't until he noticed that the pounding stopped at odd intervals that he realized it wasn't completely in his head. Someone was knocking on the door.

Well screw that.

He wasn't going to get up, risking life and limb to the agonizing light and stomach rolling nausea just to answer the damn door.

Eventually the knocking stopped only to be replaced by the sounds of someone entering. They started walking towards his resting place on the bed, only to pause and start heading in another direction.

Reno lifted his head to tell whoever it was to please stop stomping about, but the movement sent his head spinning and he dropped it again with a pitiful whimper. There was an odd hiss noise off somewhere to his right before the room was plunged into darkness and the offensive light stopped trying to dig its way into his skull. It took his muddled brain a few seconds to realize that someone had shut the blinds in what seemed to be an attempt to ease his head.

There were some more shuffling sounds before it sounded like two heavy objects were dropped and any further footsteps seemed much quieter. Reno was grateful for the relief, even if the objects being dropped had felt like a hammer against his temples.

After a long moment the weight of someone sitting down settled on the bed near him and Reno finally risked opening his eyes again.

The blinds had indeed been drawn over the small and singular window in the room and Reno was able to see without the stabbing pain in his head growing any worse. He slowly took in his surroundings and was able to piece together fragments of his memory to know that he was in Cloud's room over the 7th Heaven. It was a few seconds more before he was able to focus on the figure that had sat down beside him.

"Cloud?" he questioned, a little unsure if the blonde and black blob he was looking at was actually Strife instead of some oddly colored chocobo.

"Morning," the man answered simply, his voice close to whispering and Reno very glad for it. He groaned in response anyway and heard a slight chuckle.

When he was able to actually see the blue eyes watching him and the hair no longer looked like a blurry bird nest, Reno realized that Cloud was holding out a glass of water and a few small white pills.

"Tifa's hangover remedy," the blonde explained at the questioning glance. "I've never had any need for it but Cid and Barrett swear it works better than a heal materia."

Desperate for anything to end his self-induced torment, Reno eagerly grabbed the pills and drank as much of the water as his stomach could tolerate. Cloud took the glass from him after a few gulps, allowing Reno to flop back onto the pillow without flinging water everywhere.

Cloud placed the glass on a side table and the two just sat in companionable silence, for which Reno was very grateful. It took several long, nauseating minutes for the remedy to kick in but it got his brain and stomach settled relatively quickly.

When he was certain the move wouldn't result in anything unpleasant, Reno slowly struggled into a sitting position, facing the patient blonde still perched on the edge of the mattress.

"So," he started lamely. "What the hell did I drink last night?"

Cloud smirked at him and arched an eyebrow.

"You're asking me? By the time I got to you, you had worked your way through at least five other bars."

Reno winced slightly as he began to remember.

"Yeah sounds about right," he groaned. He remembered other things too, but he wasn't willing to focus too much on the fact that he had pretty much broken down on Cloud the night before.

"Well, that cure really works like a charm. Give me a few minutes and I'll be outta your hair, yo."

"Without showering first?"

Reno blinked at the blonde a few times, trying to figure out if that had been an intended as a veiled insult.

"I've already stepped on your toes enough as it is, Blondie. 'Sides, I'm sure Lockhart can't wait to have me gone," he responded.

Cloud stood, gathering the empty water glass.

"Actually, Tifa took the kids to visit Barrett yesterday and I think they stayed the night. They're not back yet so go ahead and get yourself cleaned up. I'll put together some breakfast and you can come down when you're ready."

"I don't need you to baby sit me, Blondie," Reno tried not to snap, but a little still made it in his tone. Cloud stopped at the door and turned back to regard Reno with serious blue eyes.

"I know," he replied coldly before his tone warmed slightly. "Rufus won't let you back to work for a few days though, and you'll be driving yourself crazy with boredom. I'd rather just attempt to keep you distracted than have to deal with a bored Turk running rampant through Midgar." He turned back to the door before offering one more comment over his shoulder.

"Just indulge me. Towels are in the hall closet." He was out the door before the Turk could protest any farther.

Reno sighed heavily and flopped back on the bed. He really didn't want anyone's pity at the moment and to have it come from Cloud of all people, for some reason, pissed him off. The blonde was trying to guise it as his usual mistrust of anything ShinRa but Reno knew better.

But… a shower did sound really good… and what if Cloud turned out to be a decent cook? The redhead let out one more deep sigh. Ok, so they both knew he'd end up at least showering… and probably eating breakfast, but he was not going to enjoy this Damn It!

As hot water beat down over his head, washing away the previous night's grime and soreness, Reno resigned himself to being content.

Kuragari: I know it's been a while but I just have a hard time getting my muses to sit down and behave. ^^ Thanks to my reviewers and I always appreciate feedback!!


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